


The Blue Bandana

by TheLittleRedWhoCouldWrite



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Background Sabriel, Bisexual Dean Winchester, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Destiel - Freeform, M/M, Openly Bisexual Dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-05
Updated: 2015-10-05
Packaged: 2018-04-24 21:59:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4936897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLittleRedWhoCouldWrite/pseuds/TheLittleRedWhoCouldWrite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Sam drags Dean to MerleFest, the elder Winchester is not expecting to enjoy himself. He’s definitely not counting on one Castiel Novak.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Cover art found on IrenSupernatural's DeviantArt: http://irensupernatural.deviantart.com/art/Cockles-Kissing-474612016?q=gallery%3AIrenSupernatural%2F47021613&qo=0
> 
> Edited by me.
> 
> Inspired by Blue Bandana by Jerrod Neimann: www.youtube.com/watch?v=H10IyxaVwx8

** **

 

**April 26, 2014**

Screw Sam Winchester and his stupid puppy eyes. Said little brother has vanished, arm-in-arm with his boyfriend, and left Dean on alone at a stupid festival he didn't even want to go to in the first place.

Right now, Dean is sulking in his camp chair, nursing a beer and scanning the crowds for any sigh of Sam and Gabriel. They're a pretty odd looking couple, what with the height difference, but he can't see his moose of a brother and the moose's fun sized significant other. He does, however, keep seeing a really hot guy dancing.

Not that Dean's looking. He can't help if he notices attractive people. It's like he has a sixth sense.

He grumbles under his breath about little brothers, slouches in his chair, and takes a swig of his beer.

"Is this your first time?"

"Son of a bitch!"

Dean startles and almost falls out of his chair. He twists to find the hot guy from earlier standing behind him. He's even hotter up close.

"My apologies," the man says in a rough voice. "It was not my intention to startle you."

Dean's too busy staring to really hear him. The man is tall, though probably a little shorter than Dean himself, and has a lean runner's build. He's wearing a white t-shirt and cut-off shorts. Stuck in his messy dark hair is a yellow flower and a blue bandana is wrapped around his left bicep. Clear blue eyes smile at him from a ruggedly handsome face with a lopsided grin and five o'clock shadow.

"May I join you?" the gorgeous stranger asks, gesturing to Sam's abandoned camp chair.

"S-sure," Dean finally gets out. "Be my guest."

"Thank you." The man sits. "I'm Castiel Novak. You are?"

"Dean Winchester." He sticks out his hand to shake. "Castiel, huh? That's a mouthful."

"It's the name of an angel. My parents were religious. Most call me Cas for simplicity's sake."

"Make sense. Beer?"

Cas shakes his head. "No, thank you. You did not answer my question. Is this your first time at MerleFest?"

"Yeah. My pain-in-the-ass little brother and his boyfriend dragged me along." He sips his beer. "What about you?"

"Oh, no, I've been coming every year since I turned eighteen. Haven't missed one yet," Cas tells him.

Dean arches an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes, Dean."

"Huh." He swirls his beer in the bottle. "Guess we all have our traditions."

Dean likes talking to Cas. The conversation is easy. They talk about family- turns out Cas is an orphan who inherited a large sum of money he put in a trust fund he can't open until he's fifty- and jobs- Dean is a mechanic; Cas is a gypsy, hitchhiking and hitting every music festival in the country. Sam and Gabriel eventual return, bearing food. Cas offers to give up his seat, but the couple settles for laying out a blanket and cuddling.

"Where're you headed to next?" Dean asks as they're packing up the chairs at the end of the night.

"I'm going to drive down to New Orleans," Cas tells him. "You may join me, if you like."

Dean is shaking his head, albeit reluctantly. "Nah, man, sorry. I've got to drive these two lovebirds home and get back to work."

Cas looks disappointed, but he nods. "I understand. I suppose this is goodbye, then. Thank you for the company, Dean. I had a wonderful time."

Before Dean can say anything, Cas has vanished into the crowd. He's not sure what he would have said, given the chance. "Wait," maybe? Of, "I changed my mind, I'll go"? It's ridiculous. He has responsibilities- his job, his family. He can't go driving cross-country with some guy he just met. He knows that. So why does he feel so disappointed?

XXX

The trio piles into the Impala and pulls out of the motel parking lot at eight to begin the fifteen hour drive back to Lawrence, Kansas. They stop in Nashville and St. Louis for food and bathrooms. By the time Dean pulls up in front Sam and Gabriel's house, it's about eleven in the evening.

"See you at Ellen's Sunday?" Sam asks as Dean slams the trunk closed. Sam is holding two duffle bags in one hand and supporting a half-asleep Gabriel with the other.

"'Course," Dean says, punching his brother's shoulder playfully. "Ellen and Jo'll kill me if I miss it."

Sam smiles, adjusting his grip on Gabriel. It's a good thing his boyfriend is so tiny. "You know it. I'd better get Gabe to bed. Good night, Dean."

"Night." Dean slides into the driver's seat. He caresses the steering wheel lovingly, watching to make sure Sam and Gabriel get inside okay. When Sam shoots him a thumbs-up, he turns the car on. The familiar putt rumbles through him. "Alright, Baby," he murmurs. "Let's go home."

"Home" is his Uncle Bobby Singer's place. Both the Winchester brothers adore their mom's brother, who took them in after Mary Winchester died in a house fire, and John Winchester got drunk after her funeral and wrapped the Impala around a tree. Not that you'd know it, looking at her. Dean spent his teen years rebuilding the car from the ground up.

Rumsfeld goes nuts as soon as the Impala's tires hit the gravel drive. Dean rolls his eyes. He scratches the Rottweiler's ears, grabs his duffle from the trunk, and heads inside. Bobby is reading in his study.

The house seems like a mess, but there's a system of some sort. At least, Dean's pretty sure there is. He couldn't tell you how it works. Bobby has more books and knick-knacks than anyone Dean's ever met.

"Heya, Bobby," he says, grabbing two beers from the fridge. His passes one to the older man and uses his ring to crack open his own. "What'd I miss?"

"Jo's truck needs a new transmission, Ash busted his wrist, and Charlie's out for the week for 'lady reasons,'" Bobby says without looking up from whatever he's reading.

"Not exactly what I was asking, but alright. Good to know." Dean makes a face. "How the hell did Ash bust his wrist?"

"How do ya think? Damn idjit fell off Ellen's pool table."

Yeah, that really doesn't come as a surprise. Dean nods and takes a swig of beer. "So it's just gonna be me and Garth for a while."

"Ain't that what I said?"

"'Course it is," Dean chuckles. "Imma hit the sack. Sounds like I've got an early morning tomorrow."

He downs the rest of his beer, tosses the bottle in the trash, and head upstairs to his room. He strips down to his boxers and falls face down on the mattress with a sigh. He lays there, mind wandering until it wanders towards messy hair and a blue bandana. Dean groans and wriggles under his blankets.

He falls asleep to the thought of bright blue eyes over a lopsided smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Dean rolls out of bed at six the next morning with a groan. He gets right into the shower. By the time he gets out, Bobby is up and, judging by the smells wafting up the stairs, started on breakfast. Dean throws on jeans and his Metallica t-shirt, runs his fingers through his hair, and heads downstairs.

"Mornin'" Bobby mumbles over the rim of his coffee cup.

Dean grunts, pouring himself mug full of the dark, bitter liquid. There's bacon sizzling on the stove and two plates of scrambled eggs on the table.

"Sit, eat," Bobby orders.

Dean obeys, digging into the food. A moment later, Bobby drops two pieces of bacon onto his plate. Dean is happy to inhale those aw well.

"Alright, I'mma head out," he says, dumping his plate in the sink and downing the last of his coffee. "Better get an early start, since Charlie's out."

Bobby waves him out with his fork and goes back to eating.

Singer Salvage in right next door to Bobby's house. The building contains a garage, office, waiting room, and bathrooms. The surrounding land is mostly salvage yard, with a gravel parking lot out front.

Rumsfeld follows Dean over and goes back to sleep in his bed in the garage.

"Some guard dog you are," Dean grumbles fondly, flicking on lights. He turns on the computer and pulls out the three-ring binder Charlie put together for this exact purpose. He manages to log in and open the calendar program his friend uses to keep track of deadlines, appointments, birthdays, etc.

Garth comes in a little before seven, far too perky for Dean to handle right now. They change into their coveralls and Dean turns on the neon "OPEN" sign.

Being the only garage in town, they get a pretty steady stream of customers. Bobby comes in around eight- as the owner, he can do that. Dean makes a comment about his uncle getting old and slow, and gets whacked upside the head for his efforts.

Around lunch, things slow down enough for Dean and Garth to run across the street to the Moose and Angel Diner, run by none other than Sam's pint-sized boyfriend, Gabriel.

"How was Merle Fest?" Garth asks while they wait for their food. "I've always wanted to go."

"Well, Sammy enjoyed it," Dean replies, stacking the little boxes of jelly into a pyramid. "It wasn't really my style, ya know?"

Garth nods in understanding. "Yeah, I get that. I was surprised you said yes."

"The puppy eyes, man. They're lethal. 'Sides,wasn't all bad. Got to listen to my own music without Sam whining. It was part'o the deal."

The waitress arrives then with their food. Dean dives right into his burger and fries before Garth can ask another question.

"Was that the only good part?" Garth inquires, squirting ketchup on his plate.

Should he tell him? Probably not. This is Garth. Kid's more as likely to keep a secret as Gabriel is to break his candy addiction.

Suddenly Garth snaps his fingers and points at Dean, grinning. "You met someone!"

Dean groans internally. Well, there goes that. "Would you believe me if I said no?" he asks hopefully.

Garth gives him an "I'm not stupid" look.

"Yes, I met someone," Dean admits, swirling his fries through ketchup.

The scrawny man leans across the table. "Spill."

"You're worse than a teenage girl," the older man grumbles, stuffing fries in his mouth. He chews a little before he keeps talking. "What do you even want to know?"

"What's she like?" Garth is married, and quite happily, but that doesn't stop him from wanting to hear every juicy detail. He seems to remember Dean's open bisexuality then. "Or are they a he?" He wriggles his eyebrows.

Dean rolls his eyes. No wonder his coworker gets along so well with Charlie. "He is attractive and smart and I'm never going to see him again, so we're dropping it." He takes a huge bite of his burger to avoid having to talk again just yet.

"That's it?" Garth says. "Dean Winchester is just going to let a hot guy go? Wow, you're whipped. How long have you known him?"

Dean's stunned. "I am not 'whipped,'" he protests. "We only met the last night. Besides, nothing happened."

"But you wanted it to happen," his friend points out. "Admit it."

The green-eyed mechanic makes a face. "Yeah, no."  _Hell yes._

"Uh-huh," Garth says around a mouthful of fries. "Whatever you say, Dean."

Dean glares and throws down his napkin. "Hey, Lisa!"

The waitress, one of Dean's exes, saunters over. 'Yes, darlin'?" she never has gotten over their break-up.

"We need our check," he tells her flatly. He's definitely over it.

"And a box," Garth adds, gesturing to his leftovers.

"Sure thing," she says with a forced smile before all but stomping away.

"We are so not done with this conversation," Garth informs Dean.

"Oh, we so are."

Dean does his best to focus the rest of the day, but it's hard. Once Garth got him thinking about Cas, it became hard to stop. Even Bobby comments on it- "Get yer head outta the clouds, boy! I don't pay ya ta daydream!" Needless to say, he's more than happy to clock out at the end of the day and settle on the couch with a beer.

He turns on the TV. It's on a news channel, but Dean's not the interested and it moving to change it when the headline catches his eye.

_Younger Novak Brother Attends Opening of New Offices._

_Novak? Isn't that...?_

Sure enough, there's Cas, standing next to Michael Novak, president of Novak Inc. and one of the wealthiest men on the planet. Michael Novak, most sought after bachelor of the decade and #1 on every Top Sexiest Men list of the last year- not that Dean reads those- is Cas's brother.

Son of a bitch.


	3. Chapter 3

"Wait, you knew who Cas was and you didn't tell me?"

Dean can practically hear Sam's eye-roll through the phone. "I thought you knew already and just didn't care."

"I didn't know!"

"Yeah, well, I didn't know you didn't know. And besides, even if I had, what was I supposed to do?"

"You're a lawyer! You have tact!"

"Precisely. The best course of action was me not saying anything."

Damn it, Dean hates when his brother's right. "Fine, whatever, bitch."

"Jerk. What're you gonna do?"

"Eat and go to bed."

"About Cas, genius."

"Ooh, are we talking about Cas?"

Dean groans. "Sam, are we one speaker?"

"Um... maybe?"

"Why?"

"Because I was cooking and needed my hands free. Hey, babe."

Dean can hear kissing sounds. "Guys, I'm still here."

All he hears is Gabriel purring Sam's name, and then a click. He pouts and throws down his phone. It bounces on the mattress.

What is he going to do about Cas? It's not like this new info really changes anything. Cas is still Cas, nomadic and funny and gorgeous and...

Son of a bitch.

Dean is so whipped.

XXXXXX

He manages to avoid Ellen and Jo until Sunday dinner. He really wantsnto bail, but Ellen'll have his hide and there's no way anyone would cover for him. The only way out of Sunday dinner is getting sick and he would never fool Ellen. She's pretty much his second mother. She knows all his tricks.

Whichnis why Dean is reluctantly entering the side door of the Roadhouse. Sam's car is out front, making Dean the last to arrive.

"Dean Winchester!"

Son of a bitch.

"Hi, Aunt Ellen," he says.

The older brunette lady is standing in the doorway of the kitchen, arms folded over her chest. She's beautiful and terrifying, and everything a mother should be.

"That's it?" she says. "I haven't seen you in weeks and all you have to say is  _hi_?"

He shifts nervously and holds out the box he's carrying as a peace offering. "I brought pie?"

She studies him a moment. "Apple?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Ellen nods thoughtfully, stepping towards him. She's shorter than him, but Dean does not doubt that she could kick his ass if she wanted. He waits, nervous.

Suddenly, she rolls her eyes and pulls him down into a hug. He flails, desperate to save the pie.

"Don't do that again, ya hear?" Ellen tells him.

"Yes, ma'am," he responds obediently.

"Good. Now, tell me about that boy of yours, the billionare's brother."

Stupid big-mouthed little brothers.

Of course, Jo chooses that moment to join them. "Yeah, Dean," she says with a grin. "Do tell."

Jo is a classic beauty- blonde and slender- and if they hadn't grown up so close, Dean wouldn't hesitate to tap that. As it is, she essentially his little sister. Which means there's no way out of this.

"Ain't much to tell," Dean informs the pair. "We met the last night, talked a while, and went our seperate ways."

"Way Sam and Gabe tell it, there was an awful lot of eye sex," Jo teases.

_Was there?_

"Are you sure they weren't talking about themselves? 'Cause, see, way I remember it, they ditched me." He tosses an arm over Jo's shoulders and leads her into the kitchen. "And when they did show up, it was just to make goo-goo eyes at each other." He puts the pie on the counter.

"Nah, Dean-o," Gabe pipes up from his spot at the table. " _We_ were enjoying the show.  _You_ were undressing Castiel Novak with you eyes."

"How would you know? You were too busy scarring me for life."

"What, like this?" Gabriel pulls a laughing Sam in for a passionate kiss.

Dean protests vocally, while the women "aw" and Bobby, who's seated at the head of the table, mumbles "idjits" into his beer. Just like that, the conversation has moved on.

He manages to steer the topic away from Cas for the rest of the night, but that doesn't stop Ellen from pulling him aside before he leaves.

XXXXXX

"Dean," Sam sighs, pushing his salad around his plate. "If you want to go after him that bad, then go!"

"But-"

"I'm an adult, Dean. I have a job, a house, a car, a dog, and a boyfriend. I'll be fine. Bobby will be fine. Ellen and Jo will be fine."

Dean rubs his hands over his face. "I can't just leave."

"It's not like you can't come back and visit whenever you want." Sam gazes sadly at his brother. "Dean, when was the last time you took care of you?"

He honestly doesn't have a response to that, which is all Sam needs.

"Exactly. Look, I'm not saying it's going to be easy. I'm just saying that maybe it's time you did something for Dean, and if going after this guy is it, that I will support you fully."

"'Sup, bitches?" Charlie says, sliding into Dean's side of the booth. "So, Dean, I heard you needed some sense knocked into you."

Dean glares at his brother. "Really?"

Sam just shrugs.

"Hey, eyes on me, big guy," the redhead demands. Dean looks at his best friend reluctantly. "Good. Now, you're a fantastic person and you always take care of us- thanks for the chocolate, by the way, and for answering my three AM phone call the other night- but it's time you did something because you want to. You want this guy, right?"

"Yeah." Duh.

She punches his shoulder. "Then go get him."

Go get him. Yeah. Dean can do that.

"Okay, Charlie," he says. "I will."


	4. Chapter 4

**May 1, 2016**

It's been a year- give or take some- and Dean isn't any closer to finding Cas than he was when he started this journey. He's right back where he started, too.

Dean scans the Merle Fest crowds, frowning. There are just so many people. How is he ever going to find Cas in this crowd?

"Have you lost your brother again?"

He whirls, frown morphing into a grin. He quickly takes in the man before him- a lean, shirtless torso, hips sharp enough for Dean to cut himself on, long legs encased in battered jeans, bare feet, and a blue bandana around a head of dark hair. The sight sends blood rushing south.

"Cas," he breathes.

The man grins lopsidedly. "I suppose it is safe to assume you were looking for me?"

Dean nods, gazing at the other man. Now that he's found Cas, he doesn't know what to say.

Cas is looking at him expectantly. "Well, you found me."

Dean takes a deep breath, shifting his weight nervously. "Your offer, from last year. Is that still open?"

The blue-eyed man is studying him thoughtfully, head cocked slightly. "Perhaps." He takes a step closer.

"Perhaps?" Dean says hopefully.

"Mmhmm," Cas whispers. He moves closer. "Who am I?"

"Castiel Novak," Dean answers. "The boy in the blue bandana."

Cas' whole face lights up. He brings a hand up to the back of Dean's neck and pulls him down into a fierce kiss.

Dean moans low in his throat and his hands find Cas' hips. His lips are chapped, but still soft, and his skin is warm. He slides one hand into the small of the other man's bare back and pulls him closer.

"Yes," Cas murmurs against Dean's lips. "The answer is yes."


	5. Chapter 5

**About a Year Later**

"I now pronounce you married. You may now kiss- whoa!"

The priest jumps back as Gabriel essentially climbs Sam, legs wrapped tight around his waist as they share their first kiss as husbands. The audience cheers and Sam throws a triumphant fist in the air.

Dean laughs and turns to look at the man beside him. Cas grins back. He looks gorgeous in a tux, Dean thinks for the hundredth time today. Even if his tie is backwards again and he's using his bandana as a pocket square.

He glances down at their matching engagement bands, and then plants a firm kiss on Cas' mouth.

"I love you," he murmurs.

Cas' eyes soften and he takes Dean's hand in his. "I love you, too."

The next morning finds Sam and Gabe on a plane headed for Europe, while Dean and Cas are headed south, blue and green bandanas hanging from the Impala's rear view mirror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic can also be found on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/story/49367070-the-blue-bandana?utm_source=web&utm_medium=twitter4&utm_content=share_myworks_details&ref_id=18201582


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